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Cheers and Jeers, May 14

Cheers ...

The annual race of the Viking-like watercraft will be plying the waters of Lake Mohawk for the fifth year on Sunday raising money for the Sparta Education Foundation.

Practice on the ships which are powered by 20-paddler crews, is scheduled to take place Thursday afternoon. Sunday's first race is set to start at 8:45 a.m.

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To another popular fund-raiser scheduled for Sunday – the SCARC Foundation's Gordon Shelton Memorial Walkathon.

Hundreds of walkers, joggers and runners are expected to take part in the 17th annual walk that follows a 1.8-mile perimeter around the Sussex County Fairgrounds.

Proceeds from the walkathon help to provide essential services to individuals with developmental disabilities in Sussex County.

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To An Evening of Wine and Roses, another popular fund-raiser to be held at the David & Carol Lackland Center at Centenary University in Hackettstown on Thursday.

The annual event showcases food, wine and spirits while raising funds for the Newton Medical Center Foundation and the Foundation for Hackettstown Medical Center.

This year's extravaganza features celebrity chef Mark Bittman.

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To soon-to-be graduates of the Class of 2019.

Sussex County Community College kicks off graduation season locally with its commencement exercises scheduled for Wednesday evening on the campus' Connor Green.

Of the 413 SCCC students graduating this spring, 241 plan to take part in Wednesday's event.

Area high school graduations will start rolling out the first week of June and continue for the following couple of weeks -- at least a few of them will be later than usual to account for closings due to weather and mold issues earlier in the school year.

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To a couple more municipalities moving to shore up their ordinances to avoid dirty dirt issues as recently confronted by Vernon.

Hampton and Lafayette are both proposing restrictions on soil dumping.

Last month, the Frankford Township Committee unanimously approved an ordinance regulating soil transfer in the township, also citing Vernon's experience as a motivation to do so.

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In a related matter, a cheer to New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Catherine McCabe -– who has made previous guest appearances here in the "jeers" category -- for scheduling a public forum on the topic of dirty dirt dumping at 6 p.m. Monday, May 20, at Vernon Township High School.

•••

To an enduring salute to veterans in adding New Jersey Veterans Memorial onto the name of High Point State Park.

The name-change to High Point State Park and New Jersey Veterans Memorial was proposed by the 24 District legislators

"My hope is that the park's new name will serve as a reminder to all park-goers of the valiant sacrifices our military members make at home and abroad to preserve our nation's freedom," said Sen. Steven Oroho.

Jeers ...

Although jeering Mother Nature is less than ingenious -- not to mention, not nice -- we can't help but lodge a fruitless complaint that here we are in the middle of May and facing chilly temperatures and too many damp days.

We do trust that Mother's Day celebrations were not completely washed out.

In Case You Missed It

Jonny Rosch's talents as a band leader were severely tested last week when guitarist G.E. Smith called from Europe to tell him his tour in Italy had been extended and, therefore, he couldn't make it to Warwick Valley Winery's Bob Dylan Tribute Memorial Da